Ted Cruz’ Absurd Agenda 21 Conspiracy

Like most of the Christian right, Ted Cruz seems to buy most any conspiracy theory that comes down the line. In the grand tradition of the John Birch Society, this is especially true when it comes to anything involving the United Nations. The National Journal looks at Cruz’ false and, frankly, ridiculous conspiracy theory involving Agenda 21.

But then there’s this, a now gone Jan. 20, 2012, blog post authored by Cruz, titled “Stop Agenda 21: The Constitution should be our only ‘Agenda.’ ”

Agenda 21, in its most straightforward definition, is a nonbinding United Nations agreement intended to encourage nations to increase environmental sustainability efforts that was adopted by 178 governments, including the United States, at the 1992 U.N. Conference on Environment and Development.

But even though it has no legal authority, Agenda 21 has long been a target for conspiracy theorists who see it as a basis for global governance. This dates back to Tom DeWeese’s founding of the American Policy Center in 1998, intended to focus in part on “the United Nations and its effect on American national sovereignty.” The Daily Beastcites a report quoting DeWeese calling Agenda 21 a “blueprint to turn your community into a little soviet.”…

It’s that 2012 resolution that inspired Senate candidate Ted Cruz to take to TedCruz.org.“Under the guise of world sustainability the plan establishes a regime of rules that attempt to bypass Congress and the American people, handing over power over vast areas of the U.S. economy to unelected U.N. bureaucrats,” he wrote.

Cruz also pinned responsibility for the agenda on a reliable boogeyman. “The originator of this grand scheme is George Soros…. He has given millions to this project.” Cruz went on to write that Agenda 21 “attempts to abolish” things like “golf courses, grazing pastures, and paved roads.”

“In the U.S. Senate, I intend to continue leading the fight, to stop Agenda 21 and any other globalist plan that tries to subvert the U.S. Constitution and the liberties we all cherish as Americans,” Cruz concluded. “We need fighters in the Senate, who will stand and defend We the People.”

This is straight out of John Birch Society rhetoric. For more than half a century now, the far-right has been claiming that we are on the verge of being taken over by the United Nations — aaaaaaaaaaaany day now; stop laughing, we mean it! Such a claim is absolutely laughable. The UN is our lapdog and it was designed that way on purpose. When the UN agrees with us, we talk in grandiose terms about the weight of world opinion. When it doesn’t, we do whatever the hell we want to do and there’s nothing they can do to stop it. The stage manager for the Dukes of Hazzard musical has as much authority over this country as the UN.